


Between the Moon and New York City

by richmahogany



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/M, References to Sleepless in Seattle, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-22 19:32:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6091720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/richmahogany/pseuds/richmahogany
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Can Harold really be so conventional as to give his loved one flowers and chocolate for Valentine's Day? Does it matter if he is? And does Grace have something to give to Harold? Read and find out. Brush your teeth afterwards.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Between the Moon and New York City

Grace shuddered slightly as she exited the subway. It was still quite cold, and the sky was overcast, although it probably wouldn’t rain. She entered the park and made her way to her favorite corner. There she put down her equipment, set up her easel and started sketching. She had drawn or painted this particular corner many times before, even at the same time of year. But February wasn’t the same every year – sometimes it was colder, sometimes warmer, sometimes there was snow, sometimes not. Nature had come further along on the path towards spring, or was lagging behind. It was always subtly different every time she came, and that’s what she tried to capture in her pictures.

  
She worked slowly, stepping back and looking around every few minutes, taking a sip of the coffee she had brought with her. By the time she had arrived at the park, the early morning crowd of runners and dog-walkers had already dispersed. Work had started for most, and there were fewer people around. A young couple sauntered along the path behind her. Tourists maybe, she thought. The man had his arm around his girlfriend, bending down to kiss her now and then. They went out of sight, but now a second couple appeared – two middle-aged men this time. They didn’t hold hands or showed any outward sign of affection, but she could tell from the way they looked at each other that they belonged together. Of course, she remembered, it was Valentine’s Day today. And that got her wondering what Harold would do – if anything. She was going to see him tonight, and she knew he was planning to take her out for a meal, but whether there would be any other romantic gestures, she didn’t know. She wasn’t sure what Harold thought of the usual Valentine’s traditions anyway. He showed his love for Grace in many ways, but maybe he wasn’t in favor of the commercialization of romance that Valentine’s Day represented these days. They hadn’t had a Valentine’s Day together yet. Two years ago they had only just met, and last year Harold had been out of town during that week. Grace herself quite liked the idea of having a special day to celebrate love, and she had something she wanted to give Harold today, no matter what he would or wouldn’t do. Would she be disappointed if Harold ignored Valentine’s altogether and just went out with her like he had done many times? Probably not. She knew how much Harold loved her, she didn’t need a special gesture on a particular day to confirm it.

Grace turned back to her easel and took out a box of pastels to flesh out her sketch with some color. She was absorbed by her work for a while, but then a new thought stole into her head, distracting her. This was the spot where she had met Harold for the first time, little more than two years ago. She still smiled at the memory of how he had suddenly appeared behind her, with his ice-cream cone, and how he had appeared to be such a nice guy that she agreed on a date with him. It hadn’t been love at first sight, but there definitely had been some attraction. After they had gone out a few times she was sure that he was The One. Their relationship had evolved slowly over the past two years. Slowly, because Harold seemed to pursue a course of old-fashioned courting and wanted to make absolutely sure that he didn’t put a foot wrong and hurt her in any way. This was not out of some patronizing attitude of ‘protecting the little woman’, but out of a genuine conviction that this was the right thing to do. She also thought that he hadn’t had much experience with relationships before he met her, and that’s why every step he took needed careful planning and preparation in his mind. Harold was never spontaneous, but he wasn’t calculating either. Everything he did was because he cared for her, because he valued their relationship and was serious about his commitment to her. She loved Harold exactly as he was, and she knew that he loved her for what she was as well. She could be entirely herself with Harold, never hiding anything, and she felt appreciated and treasured like never before.  
She smiled at the happy glow inside her and turned once again to her painting. For a while she concentrated on her art, but a small part of her mind kept dwelling on the subject of Harold.

She almost dropped her pastel stick when a voice behind her said:

“Hello.”

And there he stood, exactly like he had the very first time, smiling and holding out an ice cream cone to her.

“I believe it is traditional to give your loved one chocolate on Valentine’s Day,” he said.

She laughed and took the ice cream, which was indeed chocolate flavor.

“What I you doing here?” she asked. “How did you know I was here?”

“I just had a feeling,” he said with a shrug. “It’s my lunchbreak, so I thought I’d surprise you.”

“Oh, it’s a lovely surprise, thank you!”

She took her ice cream cone from him, and they sat down on the bench to eat, looking at each other and smiling now and then. Eventually Harold got up to look at her picture.

“I think you’ve been a bit optimistic with the green shoots here,” he said.

“I know, but I couldn’t help myself – I feel like spring today.”

“It may be winter outside, but in my heart it’s spring…”

Grace laughed.

“Yes, like that. What was that?”

“An old song. Listen, I’ve got to go back. I’ll see you tonight.”

He drew her towards him and kissed her. Then he turned to leave, but before he went, he pointed at the painting:

“Add a few green shoots for me – I’m feeling like spring, too!”

***

In the evening Harold picked her up, and they went to the restaurant where he had reserved a table. When they entered, Grace couldn’t help but feel a bit intimidated, and very much underdressed. The place was clearly expensive and very classy – dark colors, plush carpets, and large windows with a fantastic view over the city. She had never eaten in such a smart place as this. Her clothes, a patterned skirt, burgundy blouse and knee-high boots, were perfectly suited to an evening out, but here she felt she should be wearing a ball gown, or at least a cocktail dress. Harold, of course, was immaculately attired in a navy pinstripe suit with a sky blue pocket square and a matte gold tie.

They were shown to their table and sat down. Grace looked out of the window and saw the Empire State Building, illuminated in red and pink for Valentine’s Day. She gave a little squeal of delight.

“Oh my goodness! I’ve just realized, it’s the restaurant from ‘Sleepless in Seattle’!”

“What?”

“Have you never seen the film? Isn’t that why chose this place?”

“I chose it because the food is excellent. Besides, I thought you would enjoy the view.”

“Oh, I do, it’s wonderful.”

A waiter now approached with a glass of champagne for each of them. Sensing that they were not ready to order, he retreated again.  
They took the glasses and touched them together.

“To us,” said Harold.

“To us,” Grace repeated. She drank and looked out of the window again. The view was magnificent. Regardless of what Harold intentions had been, she was feeling very romantic already.

“So, what does the restaurant have to do with that film?” Harold asked.

“Well, these two characters, a woman and her fiancé, come here on Valentine’s Day, but they end up breaking the engagement. You see, she’s kind of fallen in love with this guy she’s never met but she heard him on the radio. He was on one of these shows where people phone in and tell their stories, and he talks about how his wife died and how he misses her and how his son misses her. And she’s got this thing for the guy, although she’s never met him. I don’t want to tell you the whole film, but she’s made an appointment to meet him on top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day. But then she decides not to go and stick with her fiancé and marry him, because he’s the sensible choice and a good man and all that. And they end up sitting here, where she can see the Empire State Building, and of course she can’t help looking at it all the time and thinking of the guy she might have met, and her fiancé of course notices that something’s up with her, and the whole story comes out. And so they end up breaking up. It should be sad, but I quite like the scene. This fiancé, he’s portrayed as a bit of a loser, you know, a nice guy, but not very exciting. But in this scene, even though he’s kind of the loser again, he makes this really dignified speech about how he doesn’t want her to ‘settle for him’. He wants to be with a woman for whom he is ‘the one’, to be the first choice and not someone to make do with. And I always think, that’s actually really romantic, too. And I like to think that there will be someone who wants him and no one else, even if he is a bit boring and nice and dependable and all that.”

Harold smiled.

“Yes, I see what you mean. It does sound quite romantic.”

Then he lapsed into serious thought for a while, and Grace was about to ask him what the matter was, when he asked:

“You didn’t…you know, settle for me, did you?”

“No, of course not! Harold, why would you think that?”

“Well, I’m not much of a catch, I know that.”

“I never set out to catch a man, you know. Besides – “ here a mischievous grin spread over her face – “don’t you have maybe a few thousand pounds a year and a handsome estate in Devonshire?”

Harold couldn’t help grinning, too.

“I might have.”

“I bet you are the most eligible bachelor for miles around.”

Harold’s smile faded.

“Eligible does not necessarily mean lovable.”

Grace leant forward and put her hand onto Harold’s.

“I am with you because you are the one for me. I know it in my heart. We fit together like two pieces of a jigsaw, and don’t you ever think otherwise.”

Harold sighed and smiled again.

“Thank you. It was very unkind of me to ask, I apologize.”

After a pause he added:

“You could have asked me the same thing, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, a guy like me, fifty years old and never been kissed, by some stroke of luck acquires a girlfriend. It’s not such a stretch to think that he might want to keep hold of her, regardless of how much he actually loves her, just because any girlfriend is better than none.”

Harold immediately knew that he had only made things worse when he saw Grace’s frown.

“I’d never think that for a moment! Where does all this suddenly come from anyway?”

“I’m sorry. It’s just…I sometimes wonder what you could possibly see in me.”

“Harold, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I thought you would know that by now.”

“I do. I’m sorry. I know it. And you make me happier than I ever thought I could be.”

Finally they were both smiling again, holding hands across the table.  
When the waiter reappeared, they still hadn’t given any thought to food, so they just ordered another glass of champagne.  
They sipped slowly from their glasses, harmony restored between them. Harold reached into his pocket and brought out a small box.

“You’ve already had the chocolate,” he said, pushing the box towards Grace, “so here are the flowers.”

Carefully Grace opened the box. Inside was a pair of earrings, small gold studs shaped like tiny rosebuds.

“Oh Harold, they are beautiful! Thank you!”

Harold smiled at her delight. He had been certain she’d love them, they were her style, but he enjoyed her happiness, and that’s why he enjoyed giving her gifts.

“It’s not very original,” he said in his usual self-deprecating manner, “flowers, chocolate, romantic dinner date…”

“This is the best Valentine’s ever! You’ve been surprising me all day long. And I...no, I won’t say anything yet,” she said, looking mysterious.  
Harold didn’t want to pry and spoil it for her, and anyway, the waiter had come back to finally take their orders.

***

When they sat in Harold’s car afterwards, he took Grace’s hand and asked:

“I was hoping that you would spend the night with me?”

“I’d love to. But can we swing by my apartment first? There’s something I need to get.”

Grace had everything she needed for an overnight stay at Harold’s place, but he didn’t ask and drove her to the six-storey walk-up where she had a tiny apartment. He waited in the car until she came back with a bulky package under her arm. He looked at her curiously but still didn’t ask.

They drove to Harold’s apartment which overlooked Washington Square Park. Grace went into the sitting room while Harold made coffee for her and tea for himself. They sat on the couch with their cups, but after Grace had taken only one sip, she jumped up again. She retrieved her bulky package from the hall and handed it to Harold with a smile of anticipation.

“This is for you, my love. You didn’t think you were the only one giving out presents for Valentine’s?”

Harold’s eyes grew wide.

“For me? Thank you!”

Grace watched with a barely suppressed laugh as he carefully removed the strips of tape and unfolded the paper. Harold was never one for impatiently ripping his presents open, but Grace was eager to see his reaction.

With a final flourish Harold revealed a small canvas. He leaned it against the back of a chair and stepped back to look at it.  
It showed an aerial view of the city, the flat roofs of skyscrapers and the streets very narrow as if at the bottom of a crevasse. It was an exhilarating image – this is what the city must look like to a bird flying overhead. Except the view was not straight down, it was slightly angled, as if seen from the edge of a very high building. There was something at the bottom edge of the picture, something that didn’t quite seem to belong. Harold stepped forward to look closely. It looked like the ends of twigs, and there was something small and white – a feather. And then he realized:

“It’s a nest! It’s a bird’s nest! Is it – I know, it’s a peregrine, isn’t it?”

There were several pairs of peregrine falcons living in New York, and Harold had pointed them out to Grace whenever he spotted one. He had talked excitedly about how they had made a comeback, how they had adapted to city life, and he had looked wistfully up at them and wondered what it would be like to soar high above the streets. And now Grace had given him a picture that captured those feelings and reminded him of his admiration for the elegant birds.

“Thank you so much – that means a lot to me,” he said. “How did you it? You didn’t sit up on the roof to paint, did you?” Among the many things that they had in common was that neither of them was very comfortable with heights.

“No, I took a few photographs, and the rest is imagination.”

“Did you actually see the nest? How did you get up there? It’s not in a public place, is it?”

“Oh, I know someone who knows someone, and so on. Once I had the idea I asked around, and I was introduced to a guy who works in that building and has access to the roof, and he took me up. I was a bit nervous, but it was worth it.”

“And you did all that for me?”

“Well, I wanted to give you something with real meaning for you.”

“Oh, it means a lot to me, on so many levels. Thank you!”

He took her in his arms, and they stood embracing each other for a while.  
Eventually Harold broke away to go into the kitchen and make more drinks. When he came back into the living room, Grace was standing at the big window.

“Look at the moon, Harold – isn’t that beautiful?”

Harold set the cups down and joined her. The moon was not quite full, but it was a clear sky, and the silvery light was visible despite the bright city lights. The park, which they could see from the window, was somewhat darker, and the effect of the moonlight on the trees was magical. Neither of them was a native New Yorker, but they both had lived in the city and it had become home to them, and seeing it like this made them love it even more.

Grace was utterly entranced by the sight, and Harold couldn’t entirely escape its effect either. He went to the corner of the room and switched the lights off, then came back to Grace.

“When you get caught between the moon and New York City…” Grace mumbled.

“What was that?”

“Another old song. It goes on ‘the best thing you can do is fall in love’.”

Harold put his arm around Grace and whispered in her ear:

“I already have.”

He kissed her on the cheek which made her chuckle.

“I’m glad you’re staying tonight,” he said. He hesitated to continue, but then with a deep breath he took the plunge:

“I was wondering…I wanted to ask you…Grace, would you live with me? I know we see each other often, and we already spend many nights together, but…I feel that I want to share my life with you. Would you?”

“Oh Harold, of course I would. I’ve been asking myself…” here she drew up to him and said very quietly:

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Harold laughed at that.

“Yes, I’m not very forward, am I?”

“No, but I love you for it. And many other things.”

“So you agree? You want to live together, too?”

“Yes. But I don’t think you can move in with me into my tiny apartment.”

“No, I wasn’t planning on that.”

That small pause again, where he was gearing up to say something and was unsure how she would take it. Then he said:

“There’s a house for sale on the other side of the park. I had a look at it, and I think you would like it. It has more than one room where the light would be ideal for painting. And there’s plenty of space for bookcases. We should look at it together.”

“I’d love to. But I know what the houses in that location go for – can we afford to buy a house?”

“Yes we can. IT expertise is quite well paid, you know.”

“But being a freelance artist isn’t.”

“We can consider all of that later. For now, I just want you to see the house and decide whether you like it. I want a place that it ours, Grace, ours together. That’s why I want it to be different from just me moving in with you or you with me. It has to be a new place, where we can make our new life together. And I liked that house very much, and I think you would like it, but I have to know. Will you look at it with me?”

“Yes, I’d love to.”

“Good.” And he embraced her once again and whispered: “Thank you.”

She just smiled and kissed him.

They stood there for a long time, hand in hand, looking at the moon and the city they both loved.


End file.
